Old Town Charleston and Fort Sumter

My mom has been so excited to explore Charleston, and today was her day!  She read a book called South of Broad which is set in Charleston, and fell in love with the city.  We took a narrated bus tour through town and there was so much to see and learn.  It was interesting to note that Southerners do not call it the Civil War.  They call it The War Between The States, as there was nothing civil about it.  If you ever get to Charleston, these are some things you will want to check out:

  •Rainbow Row

  •Law Corner

  •College of Charleston

  •Confederate submarine "Hutley"

  •1886 earthquake

  •Charleston Market

  •Sweetgrass Baskets

The flags at Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter

Original cannon from the Civil War

Following the bus tour, our driver dropped us off at the boat docks so we could catch a ferry to Fort Sumter.  The fort is one of three in the Charleston Harbor.  We only had an hour to explore the fort.  Many things on the fort have changed since 1861, but so much of the original fort is still intact.  The bricks at the fort were made by slaves and many cannons are still in their original stations.  The walls of the fort are shorter now and a concrete bunker was added to the center of the fort in 1899 during the Spanish-American War.  It was very easy for me to imagine Fort Sumter during the Civil War.

I was hoping to purchase a sweetgrass basket but they are not cheap. Sweetgrass baskets are an art form brought to the United States by slaves from West Africa.  During the days of slavery, rice cultivation was flourishing and these baskets were used for winnowing rice.  Men made baskets for agricultural uses out of bulrushes; women made more functional baskets from a softer grass.  The sweetgrass name comes from the pleasant fragrance similar to the smell of fresh hay.  This weaving process is still practiced today and is passed from generation to generation, and connects many to their African culture.

Charleston Market

Sweetgrass baskets for sale

At the market today we could watch women and men weave the baskets. I talked with one woman who learned to weave baskets when she was seven years old and sold her first basket at age 13.  The baskets are made in all shapes and sizes from simple round dishes to large baskets with lids.  The baskets do smell like fresh hay.  One 8" basket took the woman 28 hours to make over nine days and was $145 (too rich for my blood!).

We ate lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., learned all kinds of trivia from the movie, and found out that our waiter is from Kalamazoo!  Evan even got a new t-shirt.

Tomorrow will come soon enough and we will head to Patriots Point to tour the USS Yorktown.  See you then!

Here are tonight's questions (thanks for remembering to send them to my gmail account!):

13.  True or False: Union soldiers fired upon Confederate soldiers at Fort Sumter to begin the War Between the States.  (1 point)

14.  Legends say that slaves and soldiers alike fed this deep-fried cornmeal food to dogs to keep them quiet.  What was the food?  (1 point)

15.  The first Confederate flag had three stripes and seven stars.  What was it called?  (1 point)

16.  Name the first seven states admitted to the Confederate States of America.  (3 points)

17.  What three presidents did Forrest Gump meet?  (1 point)

A City and Some History

If you ask Aidan where we are tonight, he will say with utmost confidence "South Korea."  What he really means, of course, is South Carolina.  We arrived in Charleston this afternoon and spent some time this evening wandering around Battery Park.  We walked up Meeting Street from the harbor to Broad Street and back again.  Even though it was dark, we were awed by the homes and history in those eight blocks.


Tomorrow we will take a bus tour of the city and a ferry tour to Fort Sumter. This should be a fun day.


I have two trivia questions today.  Here they are:


11.  During its early years, a wall was constructed around the city of Charleston.  The wall was made of Palmettos and mud.  Name two other walled cities in North America.  (2 points)


12.  Two signers of the Constitution are buried at St. Michaels Episcopal Church in Charleston.  Who are they?  (3 points)


(Sorry there are no pictures tonight... the internet is too slow.)

At Home in Biscoe

We have spent the last two days visiting my niece, Kjersti DeVries, at her home in Biscoe, NC.  She is a very busy lady because she is the pastor of two United Methodist churches, but she carved out some time on Saturday afternoon to show us around.

The first place we visited was the town of Seagrove.  According to this website, the Seagrove area is one of the largest communities of potters with the longest continual history of pottery making in the United States.  We met potters Wyndham and Melanie Dennison and shopped in their gallery.  Wyndham shared many facts about pottery: firing, the crystalizing process, and how colors are added to glazes by adding natural components such as nickel or zinc.  I bought a beautiful mixing bowl with a blend of blues and grays and purples.  I love bowls because they speak to the hospitality and comfort they allow us to share with our families and friends.

My new bowl.

The town of Biscoe sits at the edge of the Uwharrie National Forest and yesterday was the Uwharrie Mountain Festival.  This free festival was a one-day affair offered primarily to families with young children.  Naomi and Aidan had fun painting pumpkins.  Evan learned about archaeology, tied some knots, and made trail mix.  We watched some canoe races and lumberjacks and practiced orienteering.  Vendors were selling everything from Alpaca-wool mittens to smoked turkey legs to earrings and necklaces.  I was impressed by an 11-year-old named Hollie who was selling necklaces.

These cute necklaces are made from none other than.....

.......Scrabble Tiles!

Today we worshipped at Page Memorial UMC with about 35 other church members.  The small gathering was a clear example of community and family.  I’m very proud of my niece and what she is doing to lead her flocks.

I’ve learned a few things about the people in North Carolina.  They love to drink sweet tea, they say y’all a lot, and their roads rarely run straight.  The most important thing is this: they are good people!  So, Kjersti, thank you for your hospitality.  We really enjoyed our stay.






Trivia Time!


10.  The slogan "First in Flight" is seen on many North Carolina license plates.  On December 3, 1903 what brothers flew a "lighter-than-air airplane" and where did they do so?  (2 points)

Dixie Stampede, Smoky Mountains, and Baseball

Last night will stand out as a highlight for all of us.  We dined in fine style at Dollywood's Dixie Stampede.  To see the looks on my kids' faces as they realized we would eat supper without silverware, drink from mason jars, and watch acrobats and horse stunts and racing pigs and dancing chickens was worth every penny.  Aidan could hardly remember to eat because of all the action -- funny kid.

Clingman's Dome Observatory

The sign really means keep both hands on the wheel!

We hit the road early in the morning to visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  The Smokies are named for the blue mist that always seems to hover around the peaks and valleys.  The trees are justing starting to change colors and I can tell it will be gorgeous in a few more weeks.  We drove up to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park.  While driving to this observation point I kept singing the Davy Crockett Theme Song: Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, greenest state in the land of the free....   Anyway, from the parking lot it was a steep .5 mile climb to a spiraling observation deck.  The view in all directions was about 100 miles.

We exited the park in Oconaluftee, NC.  There was a small Mountain Farm Museum near the Visitor's Center with reclaimed buildings from the 1800's.  We saw a meat house, corn crib, apple storage barn, the main house, and the ever important outhouse!  This park entrance/exit also marks the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the beginning of the Trail of Tears.

Here's today's questions...  all worth one point.

5.  Dollywood was founded by what big-hearted country music superstar?

6.  What is Clingmans Dome's elevation?  a) 6527 ft.  b) 6643 ft.  c)  6879 ft.

7.  The Blue Ridge Parkway winds through two states, North Carolina and ____?

8.  The people from what Indian nation were forced to walk the Trail of Tears?

PS.  I just love baseball, so I'm especially happy that the baseball postseason has started.  For one extra credit point, name one team that made this year's post-season.

Moving South We Are

It's official!  My truck is fixed and we are on our way.  My goal was to leave the house this morning at 8:00; we left at 7:51!!!  In case you're wondering what my odometer read at the start of the trip, you'll have to guess.

We spent about an hour at the Shipshewana Flea Market and Auction.  I bought a clothes drying rack; it fits nicely in the back of the Suburban, but will be a bit of a hassle each time we need to get at anything, which is about every two hours!  The kids found some cool winter hats that we just had to have too.  The best part was the extra-large bag of kettle corn and the dozen snickerdoodle cookies -- YUMMY!!

It was our goal to reach Cincinnati before 4:00 so we could tour the National Underground Railroad Freedom Museum.  We bought our tickets at 3:55 - whew!  While an hour was not enough time to tour the museum, it was impressive and made an impact on the kids.  Did you know that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 added three new amendments to our Constitution?  It was the 13th Amendment that finally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.  Or this?  In 1832 a barrel of corn sold for $1 and a barrel of flour for $5, but a healthy man, sold as a slave, fetched a price in the range of $550-$650.  I am thankful for the men and women who stood strong against slavery and fought for the freedom and liberty of all people.

We were not allowed to take pictures in the museum, but you can take a virtual tour here.

So, here are today's trivia questions.  Remember teams, email your answers to my gmail account and don't post them in the comments section.  Have fun!

1.  Name the Cincinnati author who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. (1 point)

2.  True or False:  Slaves seeking freedom often made their way to Canada or Mexico. (1 point)

3.  In 1770, what percentage of South Carolina's total population was slave?  a) 42%  b) 45%  c) 61% (1 point)

4.  What was my starting odometer reading?  a) 151,069  b) 176,318  c) 191,588  (1 point)

Saying Goodbye To The Mechanic

Before every road trip, it seems, we need to bring our truck to the mechanic. It's a standing joke between the two of us that my truck just wants to visit and say goodbye to everybody.  This trip seems to be no different.  Hopefully the problem can be fixed and we will be able to leave on Wednesday as planned.  I'll keep you posted.

Four Days to School on the Road Adventure!!

In just four short days we will be heading south for a month of learning on the road.  My mom is joining us for the first week.  Our first stop is Shipshewana, Indiana.  I hope to snag a large drying rack before they sell out.  And maybe some warm cinnamon rolls or fresh bread.  Yum!


We'll move on down the road toward the Great Smoky Mountains National Park then east toward Biscoe, North Carolina to visit my niece in her new home.  The next few days will see us in Charleston, South Carolina.  Evan will be doing some research on the Civil War and Charleston will provide a wealth of information!


After Charleston we'll send my mom back home and we'll hightail it to our condo in Bonita Springs, Florida.  Our trip will end with the launch of the Space Shuttle on November 1, assuming NASA doesn't delay it.


While it seems like great fun to travel for a month, this is not just a vacation.  We will use the world as our classroom; I am excited to take learning to a new level with real people, places and experiences.  We are going to share what we learn with our friends back home in the form of a trivia contest.  If you haven't yet been invited to participate in our "School on the Road" Trivia Contest, please leave me a comment.


That's all for now... let the planning, packing, and preparing continue!